JPL
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
JPL Logo
JPL Logo
Image

Martian Whirlwind Takes the 'Thorofare'

Sept. 29, 2023

Click here for animation

The lower portion of a Martian dust devil was captured by one of the Navcams on NASA's Perseverance rover on Aug. 30, 2023, the 899th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. The video, which has been enhanced in order to show maximal detail, was sped up 20 times and composed of 21 frames taken four seconds apart.

Using data from the imagery, mission scientists determined that the dust devil was about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) away, at a location nicknamed "Thorofare Ridge," and moving east to west at a clip of about 12 mph (19 kph). They calculated its width to be about 200 feet (60 meters). While only the bottom 387 feet (118 meters) of the swirling vortex are visible in the camera frame, scientists used the dust devil's shadow to estimate its full height at about 1.2 miles (2 kilometers).

A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).

Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.

The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.

JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.

For more about Perseverance: mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/

Download JPG
Download TIFF
Mission
Target
  • Mars
Spacecraft
  • Perseverance
Instrument
  • Navigation Camera (M2020)
Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech

Keep Exploring

Perseverance's Parking Spot During Conjunction

Perseverance AutoNav Avoids a Boulder

Perseverance Makes Tracks in Boulder Field

Perseverance's AutoNav Leads the Way

The Sound of MOXIE at Work on Mars

Perseverance Rover Looks West

Perseverance Rover Watches Ingenuity Mars Helicopter's 54th Flight

Perseverance Checks Out Ingenuity

Perseverance Seen From Above During Flight 54

Perseverance's 'Otis Peak' Sample Reveals Colors of Conglomerate

Related Topics

QUIZZES .

Space Trivia

News .

NASA’s Psyche Delivers First Images and Other Data

News .

NASA’s 6-Pack of Mini-Satellites Ready for Their Moment in the Sun

News .

NASA Orbiter Snaps Stunning Views of Mars Horizon

News .

NASA Uses Two Worlds to Test Future Mars Helicopter Designs

News .

Time Is Running Out to Add Your Name to NASA’s Europa Clipper

News .

NASA’s Mars Fleet Will Still Conduct Science While Lying Low

Robot .

EELS (Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor)

News .

NASA’s Juno Finds Jupiter’s Winds Penetrate in Cylindrical Layers

News .

NASA’s Curiosity Rover Clocks 4,000 Days on Mars

About JPL
Who We Are
Executive Council
Directors
Careers
Internships
The JPL Story
JPL Achievements
Documentary Series
Annual Reports
JPL Plan: 2023-2026
Missions
Current
Past
Future
All
News
All
Earth
Solar System
Stars and Galaxies
Subscribe to JPL News
Galleries
Images
Videos
Audio
Podcasts
Apps
Visions of the Future
Slice of History
Robotics at JPL
Events
Lecture Series
Team Competitions
Speakers Bureau
Calendar
Visit
Public Tours
Virtual Tour
Directions and Maps
Topics
JPL Life
Solar System
Mars
Earth
Climate Change
Exoplanets
Stars and Galaxies
Robotics
More
Asteroid Watch
NASA's Eyes Visualizations
Universe - Internal Newsletter
Social Media
Get the Latest from JPL
Follow Us

JPL is a federally funded research and development center managed for NASA by Caltech.

More from JPL
Careers Education Science & Technology Acquisition JPL Store
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
Acquisition
JPL Store
Related NASA Sites
Basics of Spaceflight
Climate Kids
Earth / Global Climate Change
Exoplanet Exploration
Mars Exploration
Solar System Exploration
Space Place
NASA's Eyes Visualization Project
Voyager Interstellar Mission
NASA
Caltech
Privacy
Image Policy
FAQ
Feedback
Site Managers: Veronica McGregor, Randal Jackson
Site Editors: Tony Greicius, Naomi Hartono
CL#: 21-0018